Essay Sample on Situation Crime Prevention: A Prevention Aspect Since 1940s

Introduction

A situation crime prevention aspect refers to the way specific adaptations and situations can be created to curb criminal activities. The aspect focuses mainly on the nature of crimes committed by a particular group of people, where they engage in criminal acts and what ought to be done in such a situation to prevent crimes from occurring (Lab, 2020). The situation crime aspect gained some recognition in the 1940s (Lab, 2020). A situation crime prevention aspect is usually based on the premise that crime is optimistic and focuses on modifying the contextual factors for limiting the offenders' opportunity to get engaged in criminal activities. There is a range of measures that are involved in the situation crime prevention aspect. The standards aim at reasons for targeting specific types of crimes depending on circumstances under which they happen. The preventive process includes identifying, manipulating, and controlling the situation that is associated with particular kinds of crime.

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Historical Evolution of Situation Crime Prevention Aspect

A situation crime prevention strategy was initially introduced popularized by Clark, Cornish, and Heuer in the 1980s to reduce delinquency (Ayaz & Ullah, 2018). According to their works, appropriate measures were necessary to eliminate any opportunities that would contribute to criminal actions. According to Lab (2020), criminality is one of the required conditions, but it cannot work alone for the crime to be committed. There must be a situation incentive that occurs in the form of motivation and opportunity to the criminals. Therefore, the foundation of the situation aspect of crime relies mostly on the assumption that where there are more opportunities, more acts of misconduct occurs.

The first aspect of situational crime prevention method is dated back in the 1970s. During this period, the criminology research department of the British Government utilized multiple researchers to investigate the best ways that could be used to control crime rates in the country. According to the findings from those investigations, a variety of opportunities in different settings could be used to explain the difference in crime rates in those areas (Newman & Clarke, 2016). There were specific incentives that could be associated with crime rates in different settings. The findings also indicated that crimes were disproportionately spread in individual facilities and places within the country. The research suggested that there were situation features that determined the pattern of offenses, which required a new generation of situational-based crime prevention strategies.

The Focus of Crime Reduction Under Situation Aspect

Two approaches can lead to crime intervention or prevention from happening. Be the first strategy is to change the disposition of the offender. The Secord technique is to reduce the opportunity of criminals (Farrell & Tilley, 2017). The situation crime prevention aspect holds the fact that by altering the situations under which such activities take place, crime can be prevented entirely. According to Newman & Clarke (2016). Crime prevention aspects can further be divided into three categories; target hardening measures, surveillance degree as well as environmental management. The preventive strategies exhibited more than one of the approaches. The situation crime prevention aspect can further be divided into five criteria, which include an increase in the crime effort, an increase in crime risk, and reduction of rewards, removing excuses, and a decrease in provocations.

Increasing the Crime Effort

These are essential efforts undertaken to prevent crime from happening. The first category of these efforts includes the target hardening. Under this measure, physical barriers such as tamper-proof packaging, locks, and anti-robbery screens are installed. It also incorporates implementing restrictions for facilities that people can quickly enter when they are not supposed to do so. The electronic access regulations, use pf entry phones, and body screenings are usually employed to increase the preventive effort. Both the entrance and exit are monitored to avoid unauthorized access and shoplifting through merchandise tags, among other measures. Other measures to increase preventive efforts for crime include offenders' deflection and weapon controls. The offenders, in such situations, find it hard to utilize these weapons in committing a crime. For example, bars can be fixed with toughed beer glass so that any fight from customers may not break them.

Increasing Crime Risk

In most cases, criminals fear the risk of getting arrested more than any other consequences they might face because of the crime committed. The offenders usually fear being apprehended because they know in case such a situation happens, different results have to follow, for example, reprimanding or experience jail terms (Newman & Clarke, 2016). Therefore, most of the focus is usually put to ensure that they fear getting caught or arrested while committing the crime. In such situations, they tend to be more careful and may not attempt to either steal or commit any offense. For example, when the streets are lightened, offenders usually fear because they can easily be spotted while conducting criminal activities. Thus, the area remains safe because offenders, who would have otherwise evaded the city, fear getting caught in the scene.

The natural surveillance mechanisms, like the use of defensive space designs and improved lighting, result in anonymity reduction for the creation of awareness. Use of place managers like doorkeepers, employees, and attendants and reward them in case they detect criminal activity assists in controlling the facilities. The use of two clerks one day, especially at night, creates a more threatening situation for the offenders compared to a single clerk. Another technique used is to ensure formal surveillance is strengthened in an area. This way, the offenders who would most likely, get afraid of the security guards, inspectors, police officers, and cameras are deterred.

Reduction of Rewards

The critical part of the situational crime prevention emphasizes reducing any benefits that a crime can offer to the offender. In all circumstances, offenders seek to gain maximum benefits for their offensive actions. These gains are classified as material benefits, for example, thieves, liars, and fraudsters. Other benefits include sex satisfaction for sexual offenders, excitement, intoxication, peers' approval, and revenge. To reduce such kind of rewards, there are a total of five strategies that are usually employed (Newman & Clarke, 2016). The first strategy is to conceal targets. It involves hiding any possible gains either by closing house curtains at home so that people do not get the opportunity to peek inside the house. It can also include parking the expensive car in the garages instead of leaving it in the street or by the roadside. The second approach is registering property identification for either vehicles or land. Vehicles can be registered under vehicle licensing (Farrell & Tilley, 2017) .property marking can also be done to reduce the incentive for thieves. The third strategy involves the disruption of the market for the stolen items. It comprises serious monitoring of shops and vendors to eliminate or reduce any benefits that can be achieved through selling any illegally obtained goods. The other strategy to prevent crime is a simple denial of benefits. For example, the benefits of speed driving can be restricted through road humps. Ink tags are also utilized to deny the shoplifters a chance of selling or wearing stolen items.

Reduction of Provocations

This crime prevention category focuses on the emotional perspective of the crime. The reduction of provocations forces people to less likely to engage in criminal activities. The category employs five major techniques. One of them is to reduce frustrations and stress experiences in their daily lives. It can be affected but ensuring polite services or efficient queues. Additional seating where a large number of people or clients can also assist the situation. Also, the dispute can be avoided through the segregation of rival fans in a certain field or stadium. Emotional arousal can be reduced by ensuring violent, pornographic materials are not available to people (Ayaz & Ullah, 2018). More so, ethical behavior is enforced in sports through the use of referees. Separation of trouble makers in schools' use of violent or crime discouraging slogans can easily neutralize the peer pressure that can lead to committing offenses. More so, discouraging imitations strategy is applied to ensure people do not follow criminals as a role model.

Removing of Excuses

Many offenders usually aim at rationalizing their acts by neutralizing any possible outcomes by making multiple excuses. Five techniques can be applied to the removal of excuses. One of the methods is the set of rules that govern the relationship between students and teachers in schools, employees, and employers, or creating landlord-tenant rental agreements (Ayaz & Ullah, 2018). The strategy enables the person to make decisions restricted by the rules or agreements acceptable to both parties. Also, instructions can be posted in public places that can restrict either parking or misusing other people's property so that the offenders cannot rely on the excuse that they were not aware of. Conscience alerting is also utilizing in creating awareness to the community and notice them in case they are about to commit any kind of a crime. A good example is over speeding. Signboards that encourage people to be more careful are placed in roadsides so that those who are over speeding can change mind and drive safely. Another strategy is offering compliance and control of drugs that can be used to remove excuses for committing crimes. Drugs require serious monitoring because they impair the judgment capacity of individuals.

Situation Approach to Crime Prevention

The situation crime prevention approach aims mainly at immediate chances of occurrence of crime, unlike the traditional approach, which focused on changing criminal propensities. It alters the immediate environmental factors that facilitate the occurrence of the crime. The situation crime prevention aspect focuses on reducing environmental factors in places where crimes occur regularly. The situation crime prevention strategy is based on four major components, which include theoretical foundation, standard methodology, a set of opportunity reducing techniques, and a body of evaluated practice (Ayaz & Ullah, 2018).

The Theoretical Foundation of Situation Aspect of Crime Prevention

There are three major theoretical foundations of situational crime prevention aspect. These approaches include Routine Activity Approach, Crime Pattern Theory, and Rational Choice Perspective (Farrell & Tilley, 2017). According to the Rational Choice Perspective, crime is one of the purposive characteristics whereby criminals are rational decision-makers. The offenders usually choose the cost and benefits of the crime before they commit it. In case the risks and costs outweigh the potential benefit of committing the crime, in most cases, they do not opt for committing the offense. The situation environment, therefore, is required to be manipulated in such a way that offenders find it unprofitable to commit the crime. Through the Rational Choice Framework, one can easily understand why some places experience crime more than others (Lab, 2020). The approach also aids in implementing suitable prevention mechanisms that increase the risk and cost of rewards to the criminals and hence decreasing the probability of occurrence of the crime.

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